Branding yourself for successful career

Career guidanceHow come people like Anuradha Koirala, Dr Sandeep Ruit, and Dr Bhagwan Koirala are recognized names in their field whereas others working in the same field aren’t known at all? All of them did something that distinguished themselves from others in their field. Their purpose was to work larger than themselves. They worked selflessly for the greater good and established themselves as a successful brand.

In today’s competitive age, creating one’s personal brand is important for survival. Knowingly or unknowingly you are branding (or de-branding) yourself. Personal branding is entirely about you. It is how you carry your personal and professional image as people are constantly judging you. Personal branding is not only important for candidates applying for jobs; it is also important for working professionals eying for promotion. Following are some guidelines one can implement to create a personal brand for successful career.

“If you do not stand for anything, you will fall for everything.” People, during job interviews, tend to say anything to get a job. In a recent job interview that we conducted, a Master’s level student having proved her credentials agreed to work for a nominal amount of salary, diluting the whole image of certain category of candidates with a Master’s degree.

It holds true for working professionals, as most employees don’t want to take a stand for the sake of maintaining harmony with their supervisors. The problem arises when the same employee is transferred to another department where ideas are challenged and innovation is encouraged, because s/he won’t know what to stand for.

MAKE INVENTORY

Make an inventory of what message you want to convey, and figure out how to convey the message. In the era of social media, people are constantly conveying their messages. While some have used it to brand themselves, others have used the same tools to de-brand themselves. So it’s very important to identify what kind of impression you want to make on people, or how you want people to know you. Once you have identified it, it’s easier to create a brand.

FIGURE OUT YOUR USP

What is your unique selling proposition? How do people know you? You might be the funniest one in the class. You might be the person whose Facebook status goes viral every time. As an employee you always deliver task before deadline. You can either introspect or ask your family members and friends to figure out your USP.

BACK UP YOUR USP WITH EVIDENCE

When a USP is backed up by examples, then it certifies the brand. In an interview if you are able to back up your claim of completing tasks before deadline with proper examples then people will perceive you as a credible brand. Backing up examples to support your brand makes conversation interesting. Whether you are appearing for a job interview or promotional interview, it is important to present your brand with appropriate examples.

ASSOCIATE YOURSELF WITH STRONG BRAND

Your circle of friends influences your brand. As they say, a dog brought up in the circle of lions grows up believing it’s a lion, too. If you are surrounded with passionate people, you’re likely to be infected with their passion and energy. So get into a company of individuals with good brands so as to leverage your own personal brand.

FIND THE RIGHT CHANNEL

Have you ever Googled yourself? What result(s) do you get when you enter your name on the Google search bar? More often than not, it’s people’s Facebook profiles that pop up. But is this how you want people to know you? Question yourself and take actions accordingly. In a recent recruitment process for one of the well-known companies, we Googled a few candidates after the interview. The results led us to a personal blog of just one candidate. She used the blog to voice her opinion on different corporate issues. This made a huge impression and she was hired right away.

Remember, branding isn’t entirely about who you are as an individual. It is about of what value you are to others. While following the above guidelines, you should also think of how you can create value to others. We need to understand that people do not buy products and services. People buy people, their trust and their personal brand. This is why and how Anuradha Koirala, Dr Sandeep Ruit, and Dr Bhagwan Koirala have established strong personal brands while essentially doing what many other people do.